How To Remove Harmonic Balancer In Easy And Simple Steps

The harmonic balance is also known as the vibration damper is used to prevent the strong forces generated by the car’s engine from shaking your engine apart. It is joined to the front part of your engine’s crankshaft and is mainly designed to reduce vibration.

The harmonic balancer consists of two separate pieces. One is the energy dissipating element that is separated by the rubber insulator, and the other is a mass that is joined to the crankshaft.

The rotating mass is for absorbing vibration that is generated from the crankshaft while the engine is still running. Most of the engines consist of the harmonic balancer. Because of the strain and stress which the harmonic balancer carries the unit may separate or just crack.

In case the front main seal fails to function correctly, it may end up causing an oil leak which is solved by removing the harmonic balancer.

Signs Your Harmonic Balancer Requires A Replacement

For you to remove your harmonic balance, it must have got damaged. In case you find it hard to know whether your harmonic balance is destroyed, the following signs show that the harmonic balance requires a replacement:

1. Incorrect Timing Marks

The timing marks move after the outer ring ends up separated from the inside ring. This is normally noticed when you compare the timing marks on your valve train.

2. Damaged Edges On The Belt

The outer ring may end up moving a lot, and the grooves’ alignment gets destroyed with the other accessories pulleys. Also, the grooves of your pulley may end up resulting in polishing or just uneven wear.

3. Engine Vibration

In case you have an odd engine vibration without misfire codes, carefully check the dampener for damage.

4. Damage In transmission

In case the harmonic balancer is unable to absorb the crankshaft vibration, damaging forces will begin to attack the transmission. The vibration generated may affect the input shaft, bearings, planetary gears, and much more.

On cars with huge displacement engines as well as manual transmissions, your gears in the differential may end up affected.

5. Power Steering Pump Malfunction Or Alternator

A belt tensioner can deal with so much vibration just before the inside bearings are damaged. While the harmonic balancer can only flex two degrees or just one degree, it needs a lot of the strain off attached sections.

6. Squeaking Sound

A damaged harmonic balancer can generate a squeaking sound while rotating, which will not halt even after applying enough belt dressing.

7. Elongation Of The Harmonic Balancer Keyway

In case the keyway shows any sign of damage or play, the harmonic balancer is damaged.

8. Irregular Idle

The harmonic balancer is designed to work with the different engine speeds. Dampeners function hard during idle. If the harmonic balancer fails, the idle may fluctuate while the dampening mass moves.

Easy Step by Step Procedure On How To Remove A Harmonic Balance

Removing the automotive harmonic balance is not hard as most people think. However, the procedure may differ, most procedures follow almost the same process. This procedure can be used on most cars.

Start by placing the car on a ground level, lifted safely in the air. If required, set the parking brake and turn off the engine.

What You Need

Before you begin the process of removing the harmonic balance, you should ensure you have the following:

Balancer Puller

Installation Toolkit

Carburetor Cleaner or A Fine Sandpaper

How To Remove Harmonic Balancer

Step 1

Gain access to your harmonic balancer by pulling out the serpentine belt.

Step 2

Then remove the center bolt that plays a great role in holding the balancer in the front area of the crankshaft. The center bolt is usually very tight. Also, you should know that a pulley should be separated from the harmonic balancer if equipped.

Step 3

Install the balancer puller evenly. Then wind the bolts at a far distance so as they cannot be pulled out by the action of the puller.

Step 4

By the use of an air impact wrench, try as much as possible to tighten the pulley. You may hear a very small pop when the damper begins to move out of the crankshaft. The damper consist of a press fit; hence, it cannot be pulled out without using a puller.

Step 5

The puller pull bolt ends up becoming easier when the harmonic balancer gets at the end of the crankshaft.

Step 6

Immediately the dampener is pulled out, there may be a few oil varnish that will require to be eliminated using a carburetor cleaner or a fine sandpaper before you install another harmonic balancer.

The harmonic balancer installation tool is for reinstalling the balance. However, you should never harmer your balancer back in the engine since it may result into internal damage.

Step 7

Warm the balancer to over 150 degrees to assist expand the dampener to make installation easy. Install a small quantity of grease to the sealing area.

Step 8

Align your balancer woodruff key slot using the key way on your crankshaft and then set it into position. Then wind the installation tool in place.

Step 9

Make use of two wrenches to properly tighten your balancer installation tool.

Step 10

Once the installation tool is removed, you can then apply sealer to your center bolt and install.